The proposed optoelectronic display system for automobile and other vehicles (hereinafter referred to as Display System) is intended for indication of car and other vehicles movement data, e.g., speed and traversed path, propulsion system parameters such as: revs, oil pressure, petrol consumption, geographical location of the object and warning, supplemental and other information in real-time mode. The Display System is intended for application in motor vehicles of different types and other multipurpose vehicles.
According to its intended purpose Display System provides:
a. Generating of virtual color image of pointer-type instruments, symbolic images of certain reference and warning signals and parameters of location on a map in accordance with GPS navigation data.
b. Representation of projected into “optical infinity” (collimated) informative picture image containing automobile movement parameters and reference and warning signals at automobile windscreen. Development of proposed Display System gains currency as the need arises to improve the safety of high-speed driving under heavy traffic conditions, to relax psycho physiological stress and to improve system maintainability also.
Currently some luxury cars' models such as Cadillac and BMW are provided with devices of three types:
pointer-type devices installed on the instrument panel opposite the steering wheel;
GPS navigation cart graphical display installed on the torpedo along the car symmetry axes;
display representing collimated image of certain parameters on automobile windscreen.
The referred above instrument system have several operational drawbacks:
Devices are based on different engineering philosophy and functioning independently with their schemes not interconnected that makes it difficult to duplicate the displayed data in case one of them fails to operate.
To view the data on map display screen the head movement is required. While utilizing display the driver is able to view “out-the-window” scene only by peripheral (indirect) vision and consequently the driving safety is decreased especially under the extremal conditions. Therefore it is dangerous to utilize the map display in the automobile.
Quality of the image the driver reads off from the pointer-type devices is considerably dependent on the ambient light conditions inside the automobile. There are the most hard conditions for data readability in the cabriolet models which are rather popular. The above mentioned devices could be affected by direct illumination in these cars that makes it difficult to read off the information. The application of glare shield for the map display is not much efficient at the same time not only the head movement is required for the driver to view the display screen but it is also necessary to take a turn towards the device.
Some time is required for re-accommodation while the driver turns his eyes from the “out-the-window” scene to the devices installed on the instrument panel and to the map display also. The delay for the data reading off is occur caused by eyes' re-accommodation need in case the difference is considerable between the ambient light and illumination inside the automobile. Both factors immediately influence the driver's condition and responsiveness and consequently affect the driving safety especially in case of high-speed driving.
As conducted patent study showed the most similar to the proposed Display system in accordance with their structural scheme are following displays for automobiles described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,271, U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,573 patents and multifunction collimating display by US 2009/0115586A1 application for patent.
The Display by U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,271 patent contains video image creator replacing traditional instrument panel and projecting system equipped with semitransparent mirror and the lens which is intended for video image representation on the windscreen. Depending on situation the driver is able to view either initial video image directly on the image creator via semitransparent mirror or its optical image overlaid on the “out-the-window” scene using the reflection from the automobile windscreen. Present display suffers from two fundamental shortcomings:
Due to fixed position of semitransparent mirror the informative picture seen on the automobile windscreen is identical to the informative picture seen directly on the image creator screen via semitransparent mirror. Therefore present display has significant limitations of information content and form caused by methods of graphic information representation on the windscreen. For instance it's impossible to represent virtual images of pointer-type devices or GPS navigation traveling map because the disturbance emerge which obstruct viewing of “out-the-window” flow of traffic that could lead to the accident.
Availability of semitransparent mirror that makes it possible to view the image on the windscreen and directly on the image creator screen decreases brightness of both images that does not pay because it's necessary to get maximum image contrast while viewing it on the windscreen under high ambient light brightness conditions.
Display by U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,573 patent containing two image forming canals: lower (direct vision) and upper (“head-up”) each equipped with its own visualizer. The informative picture viewed by the driver in lower canal is not collimated and formed by single visualizer as a result of reflection from flat mirror. The upper canal contains rotatable semitransparent flat mirror which is two position and reflective flat mirror with glued Frenel lens by means of which in driver's field of view 1 informative picture is formed from the second visualizer either at short distance (only by reflection from semitransparent flat mirror) or at long distance by use of collimating Frenel lens. The driver selects the mode of informative picture representation in upper canal by switching of rotatable two position semi-transparent flat mirror. The display by U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,573 patent also has significant shortcomings the main of which are following:
Being equipped with two visualizers and several complicated optical components the display becomes unjustified more complex while it does not get any additional functions
The information image is collimated only in upper canal i.e. “head-up” variant and for only one position of rotatable semitransparent mirror whereas for the second position of mentioned mirror the information is represented at short distance without collimation.
Availability of semi-transparent mirror in optical system of upper canal causes image brightness decrease which is not less than twice for not collimated image and not less than quadruple for collimated image.
Multifunctional collimating display by US 2009/0115586A1 application for patent is installed inside the automobile at the same place which is usually occupied by traditional instrument panel. The Display is made in mono block form and provided with based on LCD matrix single visualizer containing two image forming canals (upper and lower) each equipped with collimating optical system.
The information which is represented at lower canal according with driver's choice is following:
Virtual image of pointer-type devices scales and other informational signs.
Image of GPS navigation map.
To drive with safety while observing the highway the collimated images of several parameters and warning signals are required which are represented at upper canal, i.e. at a car windscreen, overlaid with “out-the-window” scene.
To switch canals the Display is provided with lightproof shutter operated by servo with one side of shutter which is made as a flat reflective mirror turned towards unified image creator which is based on LCD matrix.
To view the image at lower canal (direct vision) the shutter is removed from optical system of lower canal. To view the image from upper canal (“head-up” variant) the shutter is positioned at predetermined angle relatively to the components of upper canal optical system thus blocking the lower canal optical system.
The Display under consideration has a number of significant advantages over the previous ones such as:
At both canals almost 100% of luminous flux emitted by visualizer is effectively used thereby providing high brightness and contrast for the image.
Since both images are collimated time is saved of driver's ocular re-adaptation and re-accommodation while turning eyes to lower canal from upper canal, i.e., from “out-the-window” scene and backwards and thus the fatigability is reduced and accordingly safe drive is possible.
At the same time Display has certain disadvantages such as:
Proposed method of consecutive order for images representation excludes the possibility of simultaneous representation of different images at both canals.
Availability of rotatable mirror provided with electrical servo could cause the Display failure under long-term operation.
Since single visualizer is used for both canals the driver could be deprived from the urgent information if the visualizer is out-of-service.
Proposed Display System makes it possible to eliminate or minimize the aforementioned disadvantages affecting the automobile and other vehicles drive comfort and safety.
Display System is Providing:
a. Simultaneous representation and possibility of viewing:
at place usually occupied by conventional instrument panel high quality color image of pointer-type scaled devices and other informational signs or GPS navigation map data,
at the windscreen images of certain car movement parameters, warning signals and other mnemonic signals.
b. Possibility for representation of devices displayed at instrument panel with any type of design by use of software.
c. Possibility of choice for the method (both projection and collimation) of visual information representation at lower canal.
d. High serviceability which is incomparable with known analogs.